Hurdles to success startups can manage with video conferencing

On-site supervision is how management teams traditionally work. However, given the rise of telecommuting tools, employees these days are finding more and more reasons to jump ship. Information Age includes flexible working hours as one of the top ten things millennials value in a workplace.

That's not a surprise, given the many benefits telecommuting offers employees. These includes more time which they can devote to work, improving productivity; less to zero commuting woes and as a result, less to zero commuting stress; less travel expenses, which means more savings and higher income; and generally greater control over their schedule, which leads to better work-life balance.

However, employees aren't the ones who can benefit from regular and consistent use of video conferencing tools and technologies. Here are five hurdles to success that startup companies can easily manage—and overcome—with video conferencing.

1. Budgetary Limitations

One of the most important things startup founders do is to constantly find ways to cut down on costs. This doesn't only mean cutting back on unnecessary costs. For many startup teams, it's about finding ways to cut down on necessary ones, or at least find a cost-effective alternative. Because the extra savings squeezed out by implementing low-cost solutions can mean the difference between the company's survival and demise. It's a tricky balancing act. That's why video conferencing technology is a startup staple.

Given the massive savings in travel costs predicted by CFOs in an article on Powwownow, young companies are able to channel their funds to other areas, allowing the business to grow and survive—at least until the right investors step in. With video conferencing, client meetings are easier to set and manage. The face-to-face interaction also gives you an opportunity to leave an excellent impression, instead of simply sending over an email or relegating the conversation to chat. By using video, you're not simply a name or email in your client's inbox anymore and that can be a tremendous advantage over competition that might still be using email and chat to reach out to clients.

2. Remuneration Problems

You need the best talent to survive. And the first order in hiring the best talent is providing them with high or attractive compensation packages. Obviously, startups can't compete with industry giants in terms of the remuneration they offer. However, there is one area where startups can come ahead of big companies who are often tied to traditional work arrangements: flexibility. With more employees demanding flexibility at work, companies are having a hard time changing their HR policies and company culture to reflect and support the change. In contrast, small companies are easy to adapt, with small teams ideally suited to remote work. As top talents look elsewhere for flexible work setups, startups have the chance to access qualified employees all by offering flexible work solutions.

3. Building a Remote Workforce

It can be tough to find the right people. But when you're working in a startup setting, it's distinctly important to hire the right people. Startup teams are small. That's why putting in the right people can have a tremendous effect on a project's success. That's also why a bad hire can wreak unimaginable devastation on your team. With video conferencing, startups can eliminate the distance, tap other talent pools, and even reach out to global employees. With that kind of access, companies won't have to make do with a substandard hire. Recruiters can take advantage of a larger talent pool to find the right person to complete the team, one with the right combination of experience and skills.

4. Managing Remote Teams

With video conferencing, staying on top of your teams, wherever they might be, is simple and cost-effective. Need to talk to your marketing team in Manila? All it takes is a single conference call. With software and tools from cloud-based solutions providers like Blue Jeans, online conference call options are easy to manage. You won't have to worry if your team's going to take to the system or not. Simple solutions are often the best because they encourage adoption the fastest. That's the same principle excellent video conferencing solutions follow. With a wonderful user experience, it won't be long before everyone on your team is an expert at video conferencing tools.

5. IT Issues

Video conferencing doesn't require extensive hardware upgrades, maintenance, and backups. Installation is easy. It's also incredibly simple to use so again, adoption isn't an issue. You won't have to hire a dedicated IT team to look after complicated hardware. You won't even have to ask your existing IT team to expend any extra effort in maintaining and looking after your video communication platform. Video conferencing allows you to save on all of these expenses while providing you with an affordable solution to many of your workforce problems. Given its perks, video conferencing can be your best bet to making your startup a success.

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